The Sprout
Autumn postbox,
North Hinksey Lane!
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 172 November 2022
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The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Directors: Janet Bartlam, Judi Bolder, John Clements,
Michael Cockman, Ag MacKeith, Robin Palmer
Editor
Ag MacKeith
South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452
Editor@TheSprout.org.uk
Advertising Manager
Michael Cockman
50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Tel: 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk
Deliveries
Jan Shirley and Isabelle Hayes
9, Sweetmans Road OX2 9BA 07706 606719 Deliveries@TheSprout.org.uk
Copy Date: Copy by 15th of month preceding publication. Earlier submission is
welcome. Later contributions may have to be held over to the next issue.
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the Advertising Manager.
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Subscriptions: If you live outside North Hinksey Parish you can still receive The
Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription – only £12 per annum,
delivered to your door. Contact: Janet Bartlam: 01865 453111.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this
newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for
any errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not
a vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in
a personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual
contributors.
All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.
The Sprout is printed by The Holywell Press, and published by
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The Sprout
Issue 172, November 2022
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
3 Remembrance Day Service
5 Meet John Walker
9 Making Mosaics
11 Kennington Memory Club
13 Mind the Horses!
17 Sustainable Botley
18 Cutting Energy Costs
19 Planning Apps
21 A New Pavilion
25 Botley Medical Centre
27 All Go at Botley School
29 Help with Meter Charges
31 XVth Scouts
32 Don’t Wreck our Benches
33 Randoms
35 Local Organizations
From the Editor
Things have quietened down a bit in Botley since last month, but there’s
still lots going on. We don’t know who is the guerrilla knitter who kitted
out the North Hinksey Lane post box in autumn colours, but we thought it
deserved a cover photo. Inside, more crafty opportunities in the new
shopping centre, where they will be starting on the next section of
mosaics this month. See page 9 for ways to take part. It’s Remembrance
Day on 13th November, with the customary NHPC Service in Botley
Cemetery (p3), and on page 5 you can meet an ex-soldier who has been
keeping an eye on things there. The Quality Control Commission has paid
a follow-up visit to the local Medical Practice, and found it much
improved (p25) – pity the same can’t be said up on the playing fields! The
parish council has put in a plea for people to stop vandalizing the picnic
tables there – it costs good money to mend them, and it’s OUR money
that’s being wasted (p32). That’s next door to our aging pavilion, kept in
good shape by the dedicated Pavilion Trust, but in dire need of
replacement. A new pavilion is on the cards, and on page 21 you will find
a careful evaluation of the planning application. At this time of high
energy bills and worsening weather, it’s a relief to find help at hand from
Sustainable Botley (pp 17-19) and Citizens’ Advice (p.29). And last but
not least, we look back to more peaceful times on page 13, when horses
could be seen crossing the A34. Ag MacKeith
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Letters to the Editor
My wife and I will be hosting a Ukrainian mother and her two sons from
the end of October, and we are keen to help them make contact with
other Ukrainians living in the Botley area.
I read Riki Therivel's article in the October issue of the Sprout, and
wondered if Riki might be able to connect us with any Ukrainians living
locally?
Dr Martin Allaby
Riki’s response: tell your guest to go along to the Church Hall (Ss Peter
& Paul) on a Thursday afternoon between 3 and 5. It's the Botley Com-
munity Larder, and there is a special arrangement for Ukrainians, many
of whose larder memberships are paid for by local philanthropists – and
anyone can pick up free food from 4pm. After they pick up their sup-
plies, many of the Ukrainians get together for a chat over coffee at the
cafe tables in the hall. Your new guest is bound to find some friendly
faces there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remembrance Day 2022
The annual Remembrance Service at the Commonwealth War Graves,
North Hinksey Lane, will take place on Sunday 13th November from
10:45am to 11:45am. Gates will open at 10:30am.
The service will see participation by members of the United Kingdom’s
Armed Forces, the Commonwealth, and representatives from those
other countries whose Service personnel are laid to rest within the
Commonwealth War Graves section of the Cemetery. Involvement from
the Parish includes Scouts, Guides and pupils from Matthew Arnold
School alongside local voluntary and community organizations,
dignitaries and religious leaders. Following the service, tea and cakes
will be served by Botley Women’s Institute in the WI Hall across the
road. All members of the Parish are warmly invited to attend the Service
and to participate in the Act of Remembrance commemorating those
who made the ultimate sacrifice.
At 11am on Friday 11th November, a bugler will play the Last Post in
the centre of Botley and a two-minutes’ silence will be observed. This
will take place in West Way shopping centre at the Library end.
Ann Dykes, Chair NHPC Remembrance Day Committee
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Meet John Walker
If you have visited the Oxford (Botley)
Cemetery, you will have noticed the part
of the site with beautifully-maintained rows
of matching memorials. These are the
Commonwealth War Graves. During
World War I, it was decided that dead
soldiers should not be repatriated. This
was in part because many of the dead
could not be identified, but also to avoid
class distinctions and maintain the feeling
of ‘brotherhood’ between all ranks serving
at the Front. This practice continued in World War II. Botley holds
almost 70 war graves of other nationalities, plus British soldiers who
were sent to Oxford hospitals and died there.
One of the reasons why the Commonwealth War Graves look so
pristine is John Walker, the hero of this article. John has been coming
to the cemetery every day for the last four years to make sure that the
brochures and visitors’ book in the Visitors’ Round House are tidy; that
the crosses in the graveyard stand proud; and that there is no litter.
John, along with a very dedicated
ground staff from the Common-
wealth War Graves Commission,
takes care of the graves out of
respect for the people buried there.
John was born in 1940 into a
military family. His father,
grandfather and great-grandfather
were infantrymen, and John was in
a tank regiment, as was his son.
During World War II, when John
was a small child, he hardly saw
his father, consciously ‘meeting’
him only on VE Day. With his
mother and three sisters, John
followed his father to Germany
after the war, and he spent much of
his childhood in Bielefeld and
Hamelin, with a 9-month interlude
in Austria. At age 11, like other
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military children, he went to a boarding school near Kiel, which gave
him an excellent education After living in several large houses in
Germany, his family found it a shock to return to a transit camp of
Nissan huts in Dorset. A forceful intervention by John’s mother led to
their being moved first to Abingdon, then to Pinnocks Way, and later,
privately, to a house on the Eynsham Road.
John joined the Boys’ Squadron, Royal Armoured Corps, at age 16.
This gave him an education in gunnery, wireless, physical training and
other skills needed to become a Senior Soldier. He joined the 5th Royal
Inniskilling Dragoon Guards in 1957 in Germany, and “the rest is
history,” says John. He is the local Chairman/Secretary of his former
regiment, the Royal Dragoon Guards Association in Oxfordshire, and he
helps out at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham, taking people on
tours of the academy.
John is particularly proud of his role in the repatriation of 459 soldiers
from Afghanistan to the UK. The dead soldiers were first repatriated to
Lyneham and, after August 2011, to Brize Norton. From there, the
coffins were driven to the John Radcliffe hospital. Along the route from
Brize Norton to the hospital, hundreds of people would watch the
funeral cortege. John, military
colleagues and many local people
would parade at ‘The Final Turn’,
where Headley Way turns into the
John Radcliffe. They planted 459
daffodil bulbs at The Final Turn,
and every year they still organise
a small ceremony there. John is
proud that it was he who named
that area as The Final Turn
In addition to taking care of the
war graves and showing people
around them, John helps to look
after several veterans. He will be
at our Remembrance Day
ceremony on 13th November. We
thank John for his service to the
country and to our
Commonwealth War Graves.
Riki Therivel
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Get involved: creating mosaics for West Way Square
You might have read in
previous Sprouts about
the Public Art planned
for the shopping centre.
There are three
elements to the
artwork: standing
stones, mural work and
wall-mounted mosaics.
You can learn more
about the overall
project on the Parish
Council website
at northhinksey-
pc.gov.uk/public-art-
botleygap/
The artworks are being
created in collaboration
with local people
across the community.
For the mosaic
element, artist Clare
Goodall has designed
three panels inspired
by local nature, flora
and fauna. Clare worked with Botley Primary School earlier in the year
on ideas and for the design, she held mosaic making sessions at our
Public Art Open Day in March and sessions with local participants to
create the first panel in the summer. In September and October she
worked with students at North Hinksey Primary School to create the
second panel. Now she is looking for eight local people to help create
the third and final panel.
Clare will hold mosaic workshops on the mornings of Saturday 5th, 19th
and 26th November, 10am to 12pm in Seacourt Hall. She is looking for
eight volunteers – adults and young people 12 years upwards – who
can commit to all three dates. If you are interested, contact
goodall200@btinternet.com. The hall will be open to all on those dates
too so you can call in to observe the work and find out more about the
overall project.
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We are also pleased that the standing stones to be carved by local
sculptor Alex Wenham have been given planning permission, and Alex
has selected stones from the quarry. Unfortunately Highways England
did not grant permission for the mural element of the project, so there
will be no artwork under the A34 flyover, and Nor, the mural artist, is
now looking at alternative sites for the work.
The mosaic panels should all be finished by December and are likely to
be the first part of the artwork to be installed. Look out for more news
coming soon.
Lorna Berrett, Laura Jones, David Kay, North Hinksey Parish Council
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kennington Memory Club is a local charity which runs a day centre for
people with dementia on Mondays and Thursdays at Kennington
Methodist Church. Although the name might suggest it is only for people
living in Kennington, that is far from the case, as it replaced a day
centre in Abingdon, which closed down. Our members have come from
Kennington, Cumnor, Botley, Abingdon, Radley, Drayton and Sutton
Courtenay.
We are having a table at the Apple Cafe in St Swithun’s Church Hall,
Kennington, on Thursday 17th November. If you want to know more
about the club, how to put someone’s name down for a place, becoming
a Memory Club Volunteer or a Friend of Kennington Memory Club, this
is the place to come between 10am and 12.45pm. You’ll also be able to
get a drink there and the cafe serves delicious cakes. Take a look at our
website for more information: www.kenningtonmemoryclub.org.uk
Isobel Birse
Day Centre News
News!
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Mind the Horses! A Sign of Lost Tranquillity
As you head north along the A34 towards the turn for Harcourt Hill and
Westminster Way you can still see
a warning sign about horses in the
road. Forty years ago, you would
have regularly seen riders from Pat
Halliday’s stables in North Hinksey
Lane crossing the road during gaps
in the traffic. Before the A34 was
linked to the M40 in 1991, the road
was indeed much less busy, but
rising traffic levels had already led
to the dualling of this part of the
southern bypass in the 1970s.
The redundant sign is a reminder of
the lost tranquillity of Botley and
North Hinksey. That process began
almost 100 years ago in October
1923 when Oxford City Council decided to prepare a regional town
planning scheme which was to include an outer ring road. The City’s
scheme received ministerial approval in 1927, and Berkshire County
Council (in charge of our patch until Local Government Reorganization
in 1974, when it became part of Oxfordshire) swiftly decided to build its
section of the bypass between Hinksey Hill foot and Botley. Probably in
1929, William Hedges, the farmer at College Farm in North Hinksey,
came across Berkshire
highway surveyors in the
Fishes, and he wrote to the
Brasenose College Bursar,
warning him that the
proposed road ‘would
cause a great deal of harm
to your property.’
Brasenose and other
landowners nevertheless
sold the land needed for
the new road, which was
built by Tarmac Ltd, of
Wolverhampton and opened on 28 June 1932. A footpath beside the
road replaced the old track between the Hinkseys. This 1933 photo of a
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family outing beside the new southern bypass comes courtesy of Oxon
County Council’s Oxfordshire History Centre.
The southern bypass was long derided as ‘the road from nowhere to
nowhere’, but it did take traffic between the south coast and the A40 out
of Oxford city centre. It also made it easier to build houses on the
slopes above Botley and North Hinksey. The only protected land was
Raleigh Park, gifted to Oxford City Council by Colonel Raymond ffennell
of Wytham Park in 1926. A group of senior dons had formed the Oxford
Trust during the Great War to purchase other land between North
Hinksey Lane and Cumnor Hurst, intending to preserve the countryside
described in Matthew Arnold’s Scholar Gipsy poem. Burdened perhaps
by outstanding mortgage debts, the remaining Trustees now sold off the
portion near the bypass.
Building beside the bypass began immediately – the distinctive house
Timbers is dated 1932 – and Stephen Howse, the farmer at Elms Farm
in Botley, began to develop the Elms Rise estate above his farm in the
late 1930s. Brasenose College also envisaged building houses
alongside the bypass, but other colleges were quick to acquire land for
playing fields, initially on a temporary basis. In 1936 the Brasenose
Bursar complained that Abingdon Rural District Council had effectively
stymied his plans by siting council houses at the south end of North
Hinksey village.
House-building ceased during the Second World War, and tanks and
other military vehicles were parked on the southern bypass in the lead
up to D-Day in 1944. The development of Elms Rise and Harcourt Hill
resumed in the 1950s, and the building of the western bypass in 1960–
61 marked a further stage in the formation of today’s A34. The
Abingdon bypass (1973) and the Cumnor Hill bypass (1977) placed
Botley and North Hinksey very
much at the heart of the national
road network before the
completion of the M40. The
government’s active travel agenda
may limit future traffic growth, but
the A34 will have to get much
quieter before the horse warning
sign becomes relevant again.
Malcolm Graham
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Sustainable Botley
Next month the Sprout will include a special guide to saving energy
developed by Sustainable Botley with support from Vale District Council
and North Hinksey Parish Council. On Saturday 26th November
Sustainable Botley will be running an Energy Advice Day at
the Seacourt Hall (from 11am to 3pm) with an exhibition,
short films and people to answer your questions. They have
recently been doing energy surveys of six typical Botley homes and will
be sharing the ideas for action that come from these.
But don't wait! We can all start saving energy now through simple, low-
cost measures. There are low-cost things everyone can do whether you
own or rent your home.
T Keep your heat! Stop the leaks from door and windows – draught-
proofing tape is easy to use. Radiator foil, window film, and thick
curtains can all help stop your home leaking heat.
T Turn it off! Turn lights off when you leave the room; switch off ap-
pliances rather than leaving them on standby. Turn the heating off
overnight and when you’re away.
T Use energy wisely: set washing machines to 30C, run machines
only when they are full, regularly defrost your freezer. Avoid using
a heated dryer.
T Save energy when you cook: use lids on saucepans; use the mi-
crowave rather than the oven when you can; only boil the water
you need. Chris Church
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Wasting Energy Costs Money
I offered to write a short piece for the Sprout as part of Sustainable
Botley’s work on domestic energy efficiency and conservation. The
huge rises in energy costs are focussing all our minds as we approach
winter. It hasn’t quite worked out as I thought. I was going to produce a
long table of the cost of running various appliances in the home,
demonstrating how quarterly bills can be got down. For instance, not
boiling a whole kettle of water to make one cup of tea. This is the sort
of table I was thinking of (I’ve used 50p per unit, rather than the Gov-
ernment figure of 34p for ease of computation, and also because it may
well be 50p by the end of the winter.):
appliance
power
usage
quarterly
consump-
tion
¼ly cost
@50p
/kWh
¼ly sav-
ing
Electric
shower
9,000
watts
10 mins daily
137 kWh
£68
8 mins every
other day
68 kWh
£27
£41
TV & media
box on
standby
12
watts
24 hrs a day
26 kWh
£13
turned off
overnight
11pm to 11am
13kWh
£7
£6
Electric
kettle
3,000
watts
2 mugs, 3x a
day, from ¾
full kettle
41 kWh
£20
2 mugs, 3x a
day, boiling
right amount
20 kWh
£10
£10
But then I realised that this is mostly only relevant in warmer weather.
In winter, if we heat water in a kettle unnecessarily the “wasted” heat
warms the house — so it’s not actually wasted, just very expensive! It
doesn’t necessarily provide the heat when and where we want it, and it
may not be very noticeable, but that energy has to go somewhere. In
summer, however, it is wasted.
Where heat energy is wasted in winter is where it is exported out of the
house and heats the planet instead of the house. A Passivhaus, which
is airtight and heavily insulated, doesn’t really need a heating system.
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The heat from human bodies, from cooking, baths/showers and appli-
ances is enough to keep the place warm — but to keep the air fresh it
does need a fancy ventilation system which transfers the heat from the
stale extracted air to the fresh incoming cold air so it’s not lost.
Where do we waste heat by exporting it out of the house? Warm water
down the drains (from showers, baths and sinks) is one way. You can
see from the table that maybe as much as £100 a quarter is heating the
planet after keeping us warm in the shower and doing the dishes.
Warm air is also sent out of the house from extractor fans and cooker
hoods. (Some cooker hoods extract to the outside but ‘recirculation’
cooker hoods don’t. They just filter the air above the cooker, keeping
the warm — and probably still a bit smelly — air in the house).
But above all, heat is lost through windows and doors left open, trickle
vents, leaks, draughts and poor insulation. It’s the last bit that is the
main focus for the home energy advisors that Sustainable Botley is re-
cruiting and training up. Dick Wolff
[For a really comprehensive list of what it costs to run each appliance,
go to ‘How much electricity am I using?’ on the Centre for Sustainable
Energy website: https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/]
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P22/V2204/HH
19 Arthray Rd. Single storey rear
extension.
14 September
TDD: 9 Nov
P22/V2220/FUL
Gateways, Harcourt Hill. Demolish
existing house and build 2 detached
dwellings.
15 September
TDD: 10 Nov
P22/V2310/T28
Land Adjacent to Convenience Store,
Laburnum Rd. Remove existing
12.5m monopole & install 20.0m
monopole.
27 September
Target Decision
Date:
25 October
P22/V2346/HH
13 Montagu Rd. Hip-to-gable roof
conversion and rear dormer
extension and juliet balcony, roof
lights in front roof elevation.
30 September
TDD: 25 Nov
P22/V2377/FUL
Louie Memorial Pavilion, Arnolds
Way. Demolish existing former scout
hut and Louie Memorial Pavilion.
Erect new single storey community
and sports pavilion to replace existing
with associated external works, car
parking, access, landscaping, etc.
3 October
TDD: 28 Nov
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A New Louie Memorial Pavilion on Arnolds Way
While creating this month’s Sprout spreadsheet of new planning
applications for North Hinksey, I came across an application from North
Hinksey Parish Council for the new Louie Memorial Pavilion on Arnolds
Way. Intrigued, I have looked at the plans and supporting
documentation – not exactly my usual preferred bedtime reading!
I’m aware that there’s been some controversy over the Parish Council’s
plans to build a new pavilion but as I have no affiliation to the Parish
Council or any group using the pavilion, I feel I can report from a
completely neutral point of view.
The planning application was registered by the Vale of White Horse on
3 October as follows: ‘Demolition of existing single-storey former scout
hut and single-storey Louie Memorial Pavilion. Erection of new single
storey community and sports pavilion to replace existing. Associated
external works, car parking, access, landscaping and site works.’
In response to feedback, the new application is smaller than the
previously approved plans. The new pavilion will provide changing
room spaces for the adjacent sports field as well as two halls, one small
and the other large, a kitchen, toilets, and storage facilities. The
changing rooms will still be Sports England standard but there will be
less car parking than previously applied for, and the layout of the
smaller hall has been adjusted. If you wish to check it out yourself, the
planning number to put into the search box on the VOWH planning
website is P22/V2377/FUL. Their target decision date is 28 November.
North Hinksey Parish Council arranged for an Ecological Report before
the application was submitted. This was very detailed and the study
included habitats, flora, and fauna surveys. It makes fascinating reading
as Hutchcomb’s Copse and Fen were subject to extensive surveys with
experts investigating their hydrology and associated botanical and
invertebrate interest.
The results of two public consultations and a community questionnaire
can all be viewed alongside the planning application on the Vale’s
website. The views of a few people regarding the Scout Hut used by
4th Oxford Scouts have been previously documented and commented
upon within The Sprout and elsewhere. This article is not intended to
stir up activity such as last year’s shocking Christmas card campaign!
This is how architects Jessop & Cook reported on the condition of both
the former Scout Hut and the current Pavilion:
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1.6a Former Scout Hut As shown below the former scout hut is in a very
poor condition. The building is currently vacant, the ceiling is open to
the elements in places and has been severely damaged. The electrics
and other services do not appear in good condition and their [sic] is no
adequate fire alarm system only a domestic scale alarm is visible.
Several windows are rotten, broken or blocked up. An asbestos report…
shows significant asbestos within the building including cement dust
containing asbestos being present in the ceiling void (which is open to
the building). This may be due to a previous asbestos roof being
removed incorrectly and asbestos dust being transferred to the void.
The building currently has a failing EPC rating, meaning it cannot be
legally rented out.
1.6b Pavilion As shown below, the pavilion is not in as poor a condition
as the scout hut, but it is still in need of redevelopment. It is tired and
underused, does not feature any disabled access or any significant
levels of insulation. It is expensive to heat, especially in the winter. The
main community space is fairly small and can only host a small
selection of uses. The changing rooms are under-used and tired.
I have looked at the Design & Access Statement which accompanies
this new Planning Application and can report that it proposes to support
sustainable and climate-conscious building. For instance, triple-glazed
windows, a south-facing canopy which will help reduce overheating, the
main spaces are orientated to take best advantage of the light and heat
from the south. Rainwater runoff will be considered, with special
attention paid to the Hutchcomb Fenland area downhill. The new
building will be highly insulated and will likely feature a MVHR
(Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) system. It will be
wheelchair accessible. The western edge of the site will be a
designated wild-life corridor. I could go on but, if interested, you can
check this out for yourself, as it is
all on the VOWH website.
Overall, after spending some time
looking at much of the
documentation (selflessly, so you
don’t have to!), it would seem to
me that this proposal presents an
exciting development for the local
community.
Viv Smith
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Care Quality Commission Comes Back
At the end of September the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited
the Botley and Kennington Medical Practice for a further inspection,
following their visit in December 2021.
While the Patients’ Participation Group can never advocate on behalf of
individual patients, (who should go through the normal Practice
complaints process), our Chairman and Vice Chairman were able to
feed in information gathered from patients, in a face-to-face meeting
with the inspectors.
The CQC asked the following questions:
1. How well does the Practice engage with the PPG?
2. Do you feel that the leadership team listens to the feedback and
concerns from the PPG?
3. How well do you feel that the Practice understands and responds to
the experience and concerns of patients?
4. Has the Practice acted on patient/PPG feedback in recent months?
Our PPG representatives were able to report on PPG numbers and that
our bi-monthly meetings were attended by the Practice Manager. Our
Chairman and Vice Chairman also meet with the Practice Manager
once a month. These figures compare very favourably indeed with
many other PPGs. The Practice, through the CQC inspection,
expressed warm appreciation for the role of the PPG in providing
volunteers to help with the vaccinations when they were held at the
Kennington Health Centre and for providing lifts for those in need of
such assistance. (Lifts for vaccination boosters can still be provided by
emailing botleyppg@gmail.com.)
The Practice website, https://www.botleymedicalcentre.co.uk/, had
been much improved, we told them, with some input from the PPG.
More staff had been allocated to the Reception and phones in the
mornings so that waiting times for the phone to be answered had been
reduced to fifteen minutes or less. The availability of the new Practice
Manager to respond to concerns raised with him was much appreciated.
In general, the PPG was able to note an overall improvement.
The report from the CQC is expected to become available around the
end of October. This will be discussed at the next PPG meeting in
November at Kennington Health Centre. New members are welcome to
attend. To join please contact me at csugden@ocrpl.org
Chris Sugden, Secretary
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All Go at Botley School
The highlight of the Autumn term so far was the special opening of our
new Early Years gardens on 13th October, when the children from
Nursery, Reception and Year One came together with their families and
some special visitors to explore and play there. We had such a great
afternoon and it was so lovely to be able to thank everyone in person for
their generous donations. We ended the afternoon by cutting the ribbon
and declaring the gardens officially OPEN.
The school is deeply grateful for
the generous support we have
received, not just from our Botley
School families but from the wider
community as well. None of this
would have been possible without
you, and we thank you from the
bottom of our hearts. Moving
forward we will continue to add
more features and equipment, and
we are setting up a working party
to paint fences, help with planting
etc. If you would like to help, or
have any useful contacts, please
do get in touch.
We have organised some
afternoon come-and-play sessions
on 8th Nov and 6th Dec for
prospective families. If you have children who could join our Nursery or
Reception class, do come along and try out our new gardens for
yourselves.
In addition to our exciting garden opening event, the children at Botley
School celebrated this year’s harvest festival at a ceremony packed with
parents and other family members. We admired the bountiful apple
harvest from our own school trees and cast our minds back to the
Second World War when the trees were planted to help provide food for
the war effort. This year we made apple chutney, apple crumbles and a
variety of apple cakes. The crumbles and cakes were eaten up, but the
chutney is hiding in a dark cupboard. We’ll have a taste nearer to
Christmas when the chutney has had a chance to mature!
The Botley School Team
30
31
Under Pressure to use Energy Pre-Payment Meter?
– Citizens Advice Can Help
In the concluding months of 2022, Citizens Advice is expecting to see
more cases of a disturbing trend: low-income families with energy
supply debts being pressured, or even coerced, into using pre-payment
meters for their gas and electricity. Energy supplied by pre-payment
meters costs more than energy paid by direct debit or on-demand, and
this comes at a time when drastically increased price tariffs this autumn
will probably see most people’s fuel bills double.
Energy suppliers are legally obliged to negotiate repayment plans with
customers who are falling behind on their bills, but many suppliers are
ignoring this requirement and proceeding with installing pre-payment
meters – or, for customers with smart meters, remotely switching them
to prepayment.
If you are one of the many people who are confronting this problem, or
are generally floundering amidst your finances, worried about the future,
or want to discuss your problems in confidence, get in touch with
Citizens Advice on Adviceline 0808 278 7907. You can also telephone
the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 or the
Citizens Advice Debt Helpline on 0800 240 4420. Our website has lots
of helpful information: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Ideas for decorating Hallowe’en squashes instead of pumpkins (thanks, Riverford!)
32
33
15th Oxford Scouts Summer Camp
As promised in October’s Sprout, and with Summer now feeling a
distant memory, we look back at Summer Camp for the XVth.
It’s an early start for nine Scouts and four leaders. They’re driving out
into the Cotswold countryside, for a week on camp. This is green field
camping, where you bring everything from tents to toilets, food to fuel
for the fire and everything in between including the kitchen sink. Except
it’s a bowl – there’s no running water here (or electricity as it happens).
It really is just a field and woodland on a working farm, a traditional
back-to-basics style of camping! Tents are pitched in strong winds, the
worst of the weather for the week. Somehow, and luckily, we’ve
managed to miss the heat waves and the storms!
Our week consists of activities that are at the core of Scouting Skills.
One day sees the Scouts constructing a picnic bench from 8ft
pioneering poles, for sitting round over the week. Knots and lashings
are fundamental here. Later in the week this same structure becomes
the perfect base for the up-and-over element of an assault course. And
then it becomes a shelter for sleeping under the stars.
Alongside this, a treasure hunt was set out between two local villages,
using orienteering skills and map work to successfully find the caches.
There was signaling between fields either side of the valley, team work
challenges with a Taskmaster theme, problem-solving activities to
unlock various padlocks that
secured a sweet treat, a
visit to a Bird of Prey centre
and a chance to help the
farmer with jobs around the
farm. And somehow in the
middle of that we found time
and were lucky enough to
have a local firefighter come
out for a show-and-tell of
the important job they do!
Throughout the week
everyone is taught and
reminded how to safely use a bow saw and axe for cutting wood to size,
types and methods of constructing fires, and how to light traditional
WWII gas lamps for illuminating the field at night. There is rounders,
campfires, cooking, smiles, laughter and games every night in the dark.
34
Soon we’ll start planning for next year’s camp, and a Cub one for the
younger ages. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more.
xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk
Tom Freeman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don’t Wreck our Picnic Benches
Six picnic benches were purchased and installed in the Louie Memorial
upper field by NHPC in June 2021. Since that time, they have been well
used through two summer seasons of the Pavilion pop-up cafés and for
the Jubilee event, as well as by many users of the Fields. However,
during that time the Parish Council has had to retrieve, repair, and find
new ways to secure the benches, which have been a constant target of
vandalism.
These benches are there for use by the whole community, bought with
taxpayers’ money, and so it is frustrating that more of our community’s
money is having to be spent on addressing repeated vandalism.
To those who might be tempted to abuse the benches: stop, think
again, and remember that these are facilities to be used by all to
enhance the enjoyment of our local open space. Should you see
anyone abusing these benches, please remind them that these are
facilities for use by all and that any abuse removes this facility.
Lorna Berrett, on behalf of NHPC Recreation & Amenities Committee
35
Randoms
Botley W.I.
Our November speaker, Sabita Banerji, will be telling us about
“Sustainable Tea” on Tuesday 1st November, at 7:30 pm. Our skittles
evening is on 11th November at 7pm., when we will “bring and share”
refreshments. Our usual groups, walking, reading, gardening, craft and
music are keeping busy. Do come and join us; visitors are most wel-
come.
Alison Jenner
Thank you, Co-op
A big ‘thank you’ to Botley Co-op for hosting the administration of this
autumn’s flu vaccinations. A very grateful customer commented that it
was a really good and quick service. In the past she has had to travel
to Oxford to receive her flu jab and she thought it was a big improve-
ment to have a venue in West Way Square. It was particularly helpful to
the elderly.
Never let it be said that Botley is a Cultural Desert
There is a musical event coming up at the Tap Social Movement that is
not to be missed! The Owl Light Trio have deep roots in traditional
music, and share a passion for tunes from Ireland, the UK and Brittany.
They draw upon these to create complex, compelling and heartfelt
arrangements on concertina, violin and guitar. Brickwork Lizards are an
eclectic 9-piece who've combined their love and knowledge of Arabic
music with a passion for pre-war jazz and countless other styles. To
quote BBC Radio Oxford, “The band sound like nothing else around.
They have the charm and style of the 30s and 40s with the haunting se-
ductiveness of Middle Eastern music brought bang up to date. The re-
sult is a ridiculously seamless and impressive sound that must be
heard.” Wed 2 Nov, at the Tap Social Taproom, Botley. Doors open
7.30pm, music starts at 8pm. Tickets are £8 in advance (WeGotTick-
ets.com), or £10 on the door
Christmas Holiday Fun at Hill End
Self-led family forest days on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st
December. Festive crafts with natural materials. Winter Trails to follow.
Campfire and marshmallows.
https://hill-end.org/activities/upcoming-events/
36
Ss Peter and Paul Church
Messy Church on the theme of Light on Saturday 5th November at 4pm,
A Service to Remember Those We Have Loved on Sunday 20th
November: 5pm
Botley Library
Cara Hunter: 2pm Saturday 26 November
Why are we so fascinated by crime? What makes a great crime novel?
Discuss the answers to these questions and more with bestselling nov-
elist Cara Hunter, whose most recent thriller, Hope to Die, is published
in August 2022. To book your place just give us a call or drop in.
Cumnor Choral Christmas Concert
Saturday 3rd December 2022 ,7.30pm at St Peter & St Paul’s Church,
West Way, Botley, This year we will be singing Haydn’s Harmoniemes-
se and Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Tickets from: cockman.caroline@gmail.com tel: 07961 900670
£12 adult, £10 Concs. £2 child
U3A talks
These take place on Monday
afternoons at the Dean Court
Community centre in Pinnocks Way.
This month they are on 14th and
28th November. On 14th, Bernard
Lockett will discuss the Heritage of
Gilbert and Sullivan, and on 28th
Sarah Somerville will shed light on
the history of Shaw House, an
Elizabethan Manor House near
Newbury.
Energy Day
On 26th November in Seacourt
Hall. Practical measures to cut fuel
bills, and some guidance on
retrofitting your house and reducing
your impact on the planet.
Sustainable Botley
37
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please sendetails
to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Jean
Metson, firstbotleybrownies@g m a il.com
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison
Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
mail@thefourth.org.uk Website:
http://www.thefourth.org.uk/
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, Pavilion, Fogwell Rd.
Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)
07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk
Baby & Toddler Group
Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8
weeks. Contact via website B4044path.org
Books on Wheels R.V.S.
Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Brendan Byrne 792531
brendan.byrne999@gmail.com
Botley Community Larder
Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at St P&P Church Hall, West
Way, Facebook or email botleylarder@gmail.com
Botley and Kennington
Patients Participation Group
Second Tuesday in the Month, early evening.
Contact csugden@ocrpl.org
Botley Library
07922 849680. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,
otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Alternate Thursdays. Seacourt Hall. Jackie Warner
Ox.721386
Cumnor Choral Society
Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142 or
www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com
Cumnor Chess Club
Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett
01993 684494 www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk
Cumnor & District
Historical Society
Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old
School. 01865 724808
Cumnor Gardening Club
http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/
or phone 01865 721026
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Wed 7.30 at Appleton Village Hall. C. Casson 01235
831352 or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk
Hill End Volunteer Team
Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org,
call 863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk
Lawn Tennis Club, N Hinksey
Family club Email: Tennis@OxfordSportsLTC.org
West Oxford Singing Circle
Weds 2-3pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or see
www.emilyschoirs.co.uk
Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc
Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk
38
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare clubs
Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email
nhps.manager1@gmail.com
N Hinksey Art Group
Weds 10–12.00 W.I. Hall Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers
Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunt eers
Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr
07798743121 voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of
Annual Cricket Match/ Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council
clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
N Hinksey Youth Club
Weds at LM pavilion, Daz: 07791 212866 or F’book
Oxford Flood Alliance
R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging
Club
4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: Ox 865259
Oxford Harmony
Wednesdays 7.30 – 9.30 pm at Seacourt Hall
Contact pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays,
twice monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Raleigh Park, Friends of
raleighpark@raleighp ark.o rg.uk
Seacourt Hall Management
Committee
Contact Lottie White, 07452 960100, or see
https://www.seacourthall.org.uk
Shotokan Karate Club
6+ WOCC twice weekly
Martyn King 07836 646450
Stagecoach Botley
Seacourt Hall, Saturdays 9:00am–3pm Performing
Arts for 4-16 yr-olds Oxf 590510 or 01235 390810
Well-Being Walks, Botley
2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.50 Louie Memorial Field car
park, Arnolds Way. Ashley 07717 714477
West Oxford Bowls Club
Dave Ellerker 07931 603801
wobc.membership@gmail.com
West Oxford Taekwon Do
Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall
01865 570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A
(Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
West Way Day Centre
Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Women’s Institute (Botley)
Alison Jenner 07598 251161
alisonjenner@yahoo.com
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Banso tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
39
Botley Baptist Church,
I Church Way
Contact: Building Manager 07742
662668 botleybaptist@gmail.com
The Rosary Room
Yarnells Hill, Elms Rise
Contact: Maria Brown,
Te l : 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 7 9 8 6 .
SS Peter & Paul Church
Hall, West Way, Botley
Contact: 01865 242057 or
osneybenefice@outlook.com.
Women's Institute Hall,
North Hinksey Lane
Contact: Val Warner
Te l . 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 5 2 7 3
Seacourt Hall,
3 Church Way
Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,
or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk
Pavilion, Arnold’s Way,
Elms Rise, Botley
Contact: Darren Blase 241254
louiememorialpavilion@gmail.com
Oxford Rugby Club,
North Hinksey Village
Contact:. Mary Bagnall
mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.
North Hinksey & Botley Churches
Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts
St. Lawrence, Church of England, North Hinksey Lane
1st, 2nd, 4
th
, 5
th
Sunday 11.3 0 am Holy Communion
3 rd Sunday 11.30am Matins
St. Peter and St. Paul, Church of England, West Way
Sundays 9.30am Holy Communion!
Wednesdays 10.30am Holy Communion in Chapel of Holy Spirit
1st Saturday each month, 4–5.30pm Messy Church for children and carers!
Rev Clare Sykes, Tel. 01865 242345 or revclare@btinternet.com
See table above for Church Hall enquiries.
Our Lady of the Rosary, Roman Catholic, Yarnel ls Hi ll
Saturday 6.30pm Mass
Sunday 9.15am Mass
Fr Daniel Lloyd 07584 323915 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
Botley Baptist Church, 1 Church Way
Sunday Service 11 am.
Wednesday Zoom Bible Study 7.30pm
Choir practice Thursday 2pm
Diane Melchert 07742 662668 www.botleybaptistchurch.org
Calvary Chapel
Sunday services on 1st Floor, 1 Church Way at 9.30am with
crèche, children’s Sunday school and youth group
Pastor Steve Vickery 01865 586332
contact@ccox.church website: www.ccoxford.church
40
What’s On
November
Wed 2nd 8pm, Tap Social Movement: Owl Light Trio and
Brickwork Lizard Concert
Thur 3rd Seacourt Hall, Extraordinary Parish Council meeting
to consider the plans for the new skatepark.
Sat 5th 10-12, Seacourt Hall, first Mosaic Workshop
Tues 8th Botley School, Come-and-play sessions for
prospective pupils
Fri 11th 11am, West Way Shopping Centre, Bugler sounds
the Last Post, followed by 2 minutes’ silence
Fri 11th 7pm, W.I. Hall, N. Hinksey Lane, Skittles Evening
Sun 13th 10.45, Botley Cemetery, Service of Remembrance
Mon 14th 2.30pm, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk:
Bernard Lockett, The Heritage of Gilbert & Sullivan
Sat 19th 10-12, Seacourt Hall, second Mosaic Workshop
Sun 20th 5pm, Ss Peter & Paul Church, a service of
remembrance For Those We Have Loved
Thur 24th 7.30pm, Seacourt Hall, Parish Council Meeting
Sat 26th 11-12.30, 1.30-3, Seacourt Hall, Energy Advice Day
Sat 26th 10-12, Seacourt Hall, last Mosaic workshop
Sat 26th 2pm, Library, Cara Hunter talk about crime thrillers
Mon 28th 2.30pm, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk:
Sarah Somerville on Shaw House
Every Thursday, 3-5pm in Ss Peter & Paul Church Hall:
Botley Community Larder
